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Call of the House Law and Legal Definition

Call of the House is a motion that can be adopted as a means of compelling all members of that chamber to present themselves for a vote on a particular matter. It is an authority to compel attendance of its members in the absence of a quorum. If the time for a vote comes, and it appears to members that other members are not present in the chamber, a motion from the floor directs the presiding officer to issue a call of the House or Senate. It provides for issuance of arrest warrants that authorize sergeant-at-arms to arrest any or all absent members and bring them to the meeting hall so that a quorum may be present. The motion is usually seen in houses of legislatures, such as the U.S. Senate. The call gives authority to the sergeant at arms to lock the chamber, preventing those present from leaving.